Upper top sails



(No Model.; 2 sheets-sheep 1.

R. M. BELFRAGE.

KEEPING UPPER TGP SAILS.

Patented Mar. 3, 1885..

No Modem 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. M. BELFR'AGE. REEFING UPPERy TOP SAILS.

N0. 313,279. Patented Mar. 3, 1885.

UrvrTnn STaTns TPATENT Orrrcn.

ROBERT M. BELFRAGE, OF OANNONSVILLE, NEWY YORK.

REEFING UPPER TOP-SAILS.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 313,279, dated March3, 1885.

.Application filed October 27, 1884. (No model.)

T0 all whom-it may concern:

Beit known that I, ROBERT M. BELFRAGE, of Cannonsville, county ofDelaware and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in ReefingUpper TopSails; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvementin reeling the uppertop-sail, the object of which is to enable the operation to be performedfrom the deck.

My invention consists in the novel arrangementof the upper top-sailreef-tackles, whereby the sail is adapted to be reefed to the lowertop-sail yard instead of to the upper one, in the arrangement ofspilling-lines to spill or smother the sails, and in a false foot orridge across the sail just above its foot, 'whereby when the sail isreefed the false footstrengthens it, all of which I shall hereinafterfully explain. l

The object of my invention is to provide a means for reeng the uppertop-sail effectively and rapidly from the deck.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,Y

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a n1ast,showing theupper top-sailandthe means for reefing it. Fig. 2 is au elevation of the front of theupper top-sail.

A represents the deck of a vessel, and B one of its masts, which for thepurpose of this description may be the mainmast.

C is the main-yard, D the lower topsail yard, and E the upper top-sailyard.

F is the top-gallant yard, and Gis the royal yard.

H is the upper top-sail, bent and secured to the upper top-sail yard inthe usual Inanner, and clewed down to the lower top-sail yard. Acrossthe back of the sail,about onethird of the distance from its foot, issecured a ridge-band, I, extending longitudinally of the sail. This maybe made ol' any suitable material, though .l prefer that it should bemade of pliable wire. This ridge-band forms a false foot to the sailwhen reel'ed, as I shall hereinafter show.

J are the halyards, secured to the upper topsail yard and also to thedeck by the usual purchase-lines j.

K are the upper top-sail reef-tackles, which below are belayed to theJrife-rail L, and pass upward through the niaintop and through the usualblocks outward under the lower topsail yard, their pendants being madefast to the leech ofthe sail at a point below its longitudinal center,preferably at the ends of the ridge-band. rEhe pendants of thereef-tackles I prefer to be made of wire or chain.

M are lines which I call spilling-lines..77 These are belayed on thedeck to the life-rail, and thence extend up and over suitable blocks atthe top mast head and down on each side to the blocks m', through whichsaid blocks the legs m of the spilling-lines pass. These legs, one oneach side of the mast, consist of a single line, the ends of which passdown through guide-blocks on the upper topsail yard, down throughsuitable eyes on the front of the sail, and through eyelets in saidsail, locatedjust above the ridge-band I, and down through eyes O on thefoot of the sail, and are secured to the lower top-sail yards.

The ordinary or usual manner of reeling the upper top-sail is asfollows: The halyards are let go to allow the upper top-sail yard todrop, and the reef-tackles are then pulled on to haul the sail up to thesaid upper top-sail yard, when said tackles are then made fast below.The nien aloft go out to the outer ends of the upper top-sail yard andsecure the sail there by means of the usual reef-earings. These arenecessary in order to hold the sail to its position, while thereeftackles are let go in order to allow the halyards to pull the yardup again; but by my invention I propose that this reet'- ing shall bedone from the deck, and for this purpose in the first place it will beobserved thatthe pendants of the reef-tackles are not secured to theupper portion ot' the leech, as is usual, but are secured to the lowerportion about at the ends of the ridge-band. In this way the sailinstead of being reefed to the upper yard is pulled down to the loweryard, and thus there is no necessity for any-reefearings, for the lowertop-sail yard being stationary there is no need of letting go thereeftackles after being once made fast, because the halyards having onlyto do with the upper top-sail yard the reef-tackles do not prevent theiruse. When thereef-tackles arebelayed, l the sail is reefed down to thelower yard and there held without the necessity ofgoing aloft; but ifsuch necessity should arise it can be further secured by tying thereef-points P; but ordinarily the reef-tackles are suiiicient ofthemselves to hold the sail to its reet'ed position, the ridge-band thenacting as af'alse foot for the sail and preventing it from straining andtearing. The spilling-lines by their course through and about the sailserve when taut to spill the sail when reeling, or to smother itin, sothat it can be furled or reefed.

In order to reef the sail, the operation is as follows: Haul taut thespilling-lines, let go the top-sail halyards, haul outthe reef-tacklesand belay, tie the reefpoints on the foot of the sail, if necessary, ifnot, hoist away on the top-sail halyards again.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. Theupper top-sail, H, adapted to be reefed down tothelowertop-sailyard, in coinbination with the spilling-lines M, the fall of which is ondeck. their upper portions being guided by suitable blocks, aud havinglegs m passing down to and traversing and interlacing the sailvertically, and secured to the lower top-sail yard, as shown,substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

2. The upper top-sail, H, in combination with the upper top-sailreef-tackles K, the pendants of which are made fast to theleech ofthesail below itslongitudinal or-horizontal center, andthe spilling-linesM, having legs m traversing and intel-lacing the sail vertically, andsecured to the lower top-sail yard, all arranged and operatingsubstantially as and for the purpose herein described.

3. The upper top-sail, H, having the ridgeband or false foot I,extending, horizontally across it below its longitudinal center, incombination with the upper top-sail reefetackles K, 'the pendantsofwhich are made fast to the leech ot' the sail at or about the ends ofthe ridge-band, and the spillinglines M, having legs 'm traversing andinterlacing the sail vertically, and secured to the lower top-sail yard,substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

ln witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ROBERT M. BELFRAGE.

Witnesses:

S. H. NoURsF., C. D. CoLE.

